Electrical connector



p 1945- H. E. BRUNELLE, JR 2,335,191

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 31, 1942 Inventor: Henry E. Brunelle J11,

1s Attorneg.

Patented Sept. 18, 1945 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Henry E. Brunelle, Jr., Schenectady, N. Y., as:

signor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 31, 1942, Serial No. 470,760

4 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical connectors formed as an elbow for ignition systems and particularly to such elbow connectors as are used for connecting spark plug electrode terminals to distribution leads of the system.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved elbow connector for electrical systems having substantially non-inductive resilient terminal elements. Further objects and advantages of my inventlon will become apparent and my invention will be better understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in "the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

ed to prevent interference with other high frequency apparatus, such as radio equipment, in the vicinity of the ignition system; Furthermore, it is desirable that the relatively high temperature spark plug unit should be thermally isolated to a certain degree from the distribution conductor in order to prevent too rapid or undue deterioration of insulation about the distribution conductor. The provision of an elbow connector such as that shown in the drawing effectively Provides these desirable features. In the arrangement, the connector is formed as an elbow having a pair of arms extending at an angle to each other which is determined by the location of the spark plug relative to the distribution harness and the distribution conductor lead. This elbow'connector is provided with an outer shield ll of electrically conductive material which is formed with a shoulder l5 at one end thereof about which a nut ltis arranged with an inturned flange ll extending. about the inner edge of the shoulder l5. This nut i6 is adapted to engage the threaded end Ii of the spark plug barrel i and to draw up the shoulder l of the connection elbow shield H securely against the upper edge of the spark plug barrel, thereby rigidly securing the elbow connector to the spark plug. An insulating lining is arranged within the outer shield member 14 and is formed of a pair of oppositely extending liner members [8 and IS with the inner ends thereof formed at complementary angles to provide a snug fit within the outer elbow shield N. Central openings 2| and 22 are formed through the insulating liner members l8 and i8 and enlarged central openings 23 and 24 extend inwardly from the outer ends of the insulating liners l8 and i9, respectively. An electrical conductor element 25 extends through the central openings 2i and 22 in the insulating liners and the ends thereof extend through openings 26 and 2'! in the closed sides of cup-shaped substantially non-inductive terminal members 28 and 29, respectively. These cup-shaped members form electrically conductive outer casings for resilient terminal members and are electrically connected to the ends of the electrical conductor 25 in any suitable manner as by soldering. These resilient terminal members are arranged within the enlarged central openings 23 and 24 of the insulating liners and are of a size such that the outer ends of the insulating liner members I8 and I9 and adjacent ends of the outer shield I4 extend axially thereof substantially beyond the outer ends of the terminal members to provide for the insertion of external contact elements. The resilient terminal members include contact caps 30 and 3i arranged axially slidable within the cup-shaped members 28 and 29 and are biased by compression springs 32 and 33 outwardly towards the open end of the cupshaped members. caps are retained within the cupishaped members by inturned outer edges 34 and 35 of the cup-shaped members and thus are provided with an electrical shield which extends about the springs and the contact caps for minimizing the mutual. inductive effect of electrical current through these springs with elements externally of the terminal members. An electrical connection is provided between the spark plug central electrode l2 and the distribution conductor lead l3 through the elbow connector by contact of the upper end of the central electrode l-2 with the contact cap 30 when the connector nut I6 is securely drawn up on the end of the spark plug barrel I0. As shown in the drawing, the end of the spark plug electrode l2 depresses the contact cap 30 against the action of the spring 32 to provide a good electrical contact therewith, thereby forming an electrical circuit with the conductor The springs and the contact and the resilient terminal element which includes the cup-shaped member 2-8, the spring 8-3, and the contact cap 3|. This contact cap Ii is adapted to be depressed against the action or the spring 33 by engagement with a terminal ll formed on the end of the distribution conductor I3 over an insulating cap or bushing 31 which extends about the inner end of insulation 38 around the distribution lead conductor II. This terminal element 36 is held in engagement with the contact cap 3| by a nut 39 which threadedly engages the adjacent threaded outer end ll of the outer shield H of the elbow connector. This nut is provided with an inwardly extending shoulder ll arranged about an outwardly extending shoulder 42 on a bushing 43 secured to a metallic shield 44 arranged about the distribution conductor l3. The adjacent outer end 45 of the elbow outer shield I4 is turned inwardly over the outer edge or the insulating liner it, 'such that when the nut 39 is drawn up tightly about the threaded end of the shield I4, a good electrical contact is provided between the inturned end of the elbow shield and the distribution shield bushing 43, thereby assuring good electrical contact and grounding of the interconnected shields 44 and I4 and the grounded spark plug barrel ill The elbow connector shown in the drawing can readily be assembled by soldering or upsetting one end of the conductor 25 in one of the cupshaped terminal members, inserting the spring and contact cap in this cup-shaped terminal member and then spinning over the outer edge to retain the cap and spring in position. The conductor 25 and the assembled resilient terminal may then be inserted in one of the insulating liners, and this assembly inserted into the elbow shield H. The other insulating liner then may be inserted in the other end of the elbow shield H with the conductor 28 extending through the central opening in this latter insulating liner, after which the second cup-shaped terminal member may be secured to its respective end of the conductor 25. A spring and contact cap then can be placed in this latter cup-shaped member and the outer edge thereof may be spun over to form the inturned flange or lip for retaining the cap and spring in assembled relationship in the terminal member. This provides a simple construction which may be readily assembled from standard parts and provides for a good electrical contact of substantially non-inductive resilient terminal elements with the respective contacts of the cooperating parts of an electrical system.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, modifiestions thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed, and I intend in the an pended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope or my in- Vention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An elbow connector for an ignition system having a pair of arms extending at an angle to each other and including an outer shield of electrically conductive material about said arms, a lining of insulating material arranged within said outer shield and having a central opening therein, a resilient terminal member arranged in each end of said central opening in said insulating lining including a cup-shaped member oi electrically conductive material, means including an electrical conductor extendin through said central opening in said insulating lining secured to each oi said cup-shaped members for securing said cup-shaped members in position and for electrically connecting togethersaid cup-shaped members, a contact cap axially slidable within said cup-shaped member, means for retaining said contact cap in said cup-shaped member, a compression coil spring within said. cup-shaped member arranged to bias said cap outwardly of said cup-shaped member, said cup-shaped member providing a shield about said spring for minimizing the external inductive effect 01' electric current through said spring, and means for electrically connecting said outer shield to cooperating shields of other system members at each end of said connector.

2. An elbow connector for an ignition system having a pair of arms extending at an angle to each other and including an outer shield of electrically conductive material about said arms, a

' pair of oppositely extending liner members of insulating material arranged within said outer shield and having a central opening therein, a resilient terminal member arranged in each outer end of said central opening in said insulating liners including a cup-shaped member of electrically conductive material, means including an electrical conductor extending through said central opening in said insulating liners secured to each of said cup-shaped members for securing said cup-shaped members in position and for electrically connecting together said cup-shaped members, a contact cap axially slidable within said cup-shaped member, a compression coil spring within said cup-shaped member arranged to bias said cap outwardly of said cup-shaped member, said cup-shaped member providing a shield about said spring for minimizing the external inductive effect of electric current through said spring and having an inturned outer edge for retaining said cap in said cup-shaped member.

3. An elbow connector for an ignition system having a pair or arms extending at an angle to each other and including an outer shield of electrically conductive material about said arms, a pair of oppositely extending liner members of insulating material arranged within said outer shield and having a central opening therein with an enlarged central opening adjacent the outer end of each of said insulating liners, and a resilient terminal member arranged in each of said enlarged openings in said insulating liners includ ing a cup-shaped member of electrically conductive material, means including an electrical conductor extending through said central openings in said insulating liners secured to each of said cup-shaped members for securing said cupshaped members in position and for electrically connecting together said cup-shaped members, a contact can axially slidable within said cupshaped member, a compression coil spring within said cup-shaped member arranged to bias said can outwardly of said cup-shaped member, said cup/shaped member providing a shield about said for minimizing the external inductive etiect of electric current through said spring and having an inturned outer edge for retaining said cap in said cup-shaped member, each 01' said insulating liners and said outer shield being formed to extend axially substantially beyond said terminal members at the outer ends thereof.

n elbow connector for an ignition system flair of arms extending at an angle to Y each other and including an outer shield of electrically conductive material about said arms, a

pair of oppositely extending liner members of in-' axially slidable within said cup-shaped member, means for retaining said contact cap in said cupshaped member, a compression coil spring within said cup-shaped member arranged to bias said cap outwardly of said cup-shaped member, said cup-shaped member providing a shield about said spring for minimizing the external inductive effect of electric current through said spring, each 7 -.of said insulating liners and said outer shield being formed to extend axially substantially beyond said terminal members at the outer ends thereof, and means for electrically connecting said outer shield to cooperating shields of other system members at each end of said connector.

HENRY a. Baum, JR. 

